The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1887-04-29

acler of communiiy's CONVERSE
lion. "Seelx those things which
are above" Take that, my friends,
as a guide in your reading. In
our land and age books have 5es
come part of mans life. They
enter into every sphere, and do
silently a work for good or evil.
All, says Carlyle, .'all that men
have dcvlsed--discovered. done,
felt or imagined lies recorded d in
books This il true, but un-
fortunately, men have sometimes
devised evil, and discovered in
iquities, and done wickedly, and
i imagined decets; and therefore,
many books have been written
which should not be read. Many
books are read in Wcsson, ! dare
say, which are not only useless.
but sometimes perniclous. The
mind resembles tile food It lives on,
and If that food is light, or coarse,
/ the mind is so likewise. There
fore in reading we should seek
that which instructs rather than
that which stimulates--tie exact
science, rather than the vague
mass of i'll assorted views the
novel written with elevaiing pur
pose, rather than the one flied
with thrilling episodes--the poet
| who reveals human nature to
itself, like Shakespeare, rather
than the poet who ilatters and fans
the sensual passions, like Byron.
| But above all other books you
should seek those things which aie
above. in that volume Of reyela-
| ton which tells of the nature of
God---the destiny Of the human
souI--the consequences Of sin
the work Of rcaemption--tlio day
OF final adjustment, and the end
less world which les beyond.
"Seek those things which ire
above is Ahe only good rule fol
y Ithe regulation Of our secret
Thoughts, ard to have these righl
!, is most important III nrl. ES'
j frJmtne thoughts spripgtle word
i and tile deeds of man they de
4 pend on the Inward guidance 9
{ thought. Now, while we s3ent
] some OF our time in intercours
6 with our fellow some in th
4 affairs of business some in road
: ing; yet during the greater pal
k Of life the mind IS left to itselt--eI
gagged in silent cogitatipns. Thcs
should be brought into captiyit
q to the obedience Of Christ
. The mind Of The deciple rise
4 with Christ and striving 10 wal
q in newness Of life should not dwp
q peipetually among he things {
Ie earth--it should not descend
IA petty ambitions. lit should ne
n grovel in the moral miro Of worl'
b ly passions and lusts. 1t shou
r look aboye--should scar upward
y 1t should contemplate only thol
ID things that are true and homes
! AMI pure, and lovely, and OF goo
/ report. We should sometlml
,e think of tile future home in IIea
X en-sometimes of Christ som
IN times Of those who have gone b
~ fore--whom we have loved al
al lost awhile. And if we discovt
IA now and then, that ouI thoughts a
ID sinking 10 any of the base or il
Of pure things Of earth, we should
IA once bid them--fofce them
4 rise.
81 This, then, is the practical k
nd son taught by the doctrInal tru
ve Of Christ's Resurrection. Th
ch we protesting Christians--ris
into righteousness, must hent
y forth walk not as other Cent?
4 walk. We must enter that ~
= life which is marked out tor us
- God--which is a preparation a
~ an Introduction into eternal Ii
~ ~ and without which none must {
~ pect to live with Him in Hcay
IL hereafter.